How do I merge PDFs in PDFsam Basic?
It takes five steps: open Merge, add the PDFs, set the order, pick pages if needed and choose the output and run.
- Open Merge. Start PDFsam Basic and click Merge on the Home screen or in the left sidebar.
- Add the PDFs. Drag the files onto the list, or click Add and choose them. Each row shows the file's size and page count.
- Set the order. Select a row and use Move Up or Move Down until the list matches the order you want.
- Pick pages if needed. Double-click a row's Page ranges cell and type ranges such as 1-3,7 to merge only those pages.
- Choose the output and run. Set the Destination file, then click Run. When the bar reads Completed, click Open to check the result.
Which Merge settings matter?
The Merge settings panel has five choices, and the defaults suit most jobs. Bookmarks handling keeps each file's bookmarks by default; switch it to create one entry per merged document when you want a clean outline with one line per source file. Interactive forms (AcroForms) merges form fields by default; choose Merge renaming existing fields when several inputs are copies of the same form, or Flatten to freeze the filled values. Table of contents can add a first page listing every input, generated from file names or document titles.
| Setting | Choices | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Bookmarks handling | Retain bookmarks, Discard bookmarks, Create one entry for each merged document, Retain bookmarks as one entry for each merged document | You want a tidy outline in the merged file |
| Interactive forms (AcroForms) | Merge fields, Merge renaming existing fields, Flatten, Discard forms | Inputs contain fillable forms |
| Table of contents | Don't generate, Generate from file names, Generate from documents titles | A cover page listing the inputs helps the reader |
| Pages normalization | None, Same width as first page, Same width as first page (based on page orientation) | Inputs have mixed page sizes |
| Blank page if odd, footer | On or off | Printing double-sided, or tracing pages back to a file |
What does page normalization do?
Scans and exported documents often have different page widths, which makes a merged file jump in size as you scroll. Pages normalization scales every page to the same width as the first page. Leave it at None when the inputs already match. Add a blank page if page number is odd pads each input to an even page count, so each document starts on a right-hand page when printed double-sided, and Add a footer stamps each page with the name of the file it came from.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a limit on how many PDFs I can merge?
PDFsam Basic sets no file or page limit and adds no watermark. Very large jobs are limited only by your computer's memory and disk space.
Can I merge password-protected PDFs?
Yes. A lock icon appears on a protected row; click it and type the password, and PDFsam Basic can then read the file for the merge.
Why does my merged PDF lose a digital signature?
A signature covers the exact bytes of the original file. Once pages are copied into a new PDF the signature no longer validates, so keep the signed originals.